Much of the church in America has lost its evangelistic zeal and has forgotten how to re-ignite it; this book aims to light the fuse of the powder keg so that the church, long-distracted by so many things, might return to its primary mission in the world.

We do not take Christ to anyone, however; He is already there. We simply go to make explicit what we see Him doing implicitly. It is not a question of whether God is at work in His world. It is a question of whether we are going to join Him.

Our hope is to see more of God’s people at work with Him! Learn about why we share our faith, Christ’s role in our evangelism, the deep longings in all our hearts, and how to effectively live a sacramentally evangelistic lifestyle.

We are offering a way of looking at life and the world that is open to God’s presence everywhere … a sacramental approach. And where better to experience God’s presence than in the world, His workplace? This is the Sacrament of Evangelism.

The Authors

Jerry Root teaches about evangelism and C.S. Lewis at Wheaton College. Jerry notes, “This book grows out of teaching evangelism for 15 years as well as practicing evangelism for 44 years. It is rooted in both practice and theory.”

Stan Guthrie is a CT editor at large and does weekly podcasts with John Wilson of Books & Culture. A writer for BreakPoint.org and Crosswalk.com, he is a frequent guest on Christian radio programs. His most recent book, All That Jesus Asks, is published by Baker.

Endorsements

“Having taught evangelism around the world I have discovered that the fears are remarkably the same: What if I offend? What if I’m rejected? What if they ask me a question I can’t answer? However, over time I realized that the deeper, unspoken fear was the assumption that evangelism is ultimately all about us and our skills. We suck up our courage and just hope that God will back us up! But we’ve got it backwards. God always goes before us because He is already there. We follow Him into the world, He doesn’t follow us. Evangelism is cooperating with what God is already doing! That insight is not only liberating but it is laid out beautifully in this timely book by Root and Guthrie. They understand that evangelism means practicing God’s presence as we engage in compassionate, authentic relationship with seekers and skeptics. The stories are inspiring and the discussion questions make this a perfect tool for small groups. I highly recommend it!”Rebecca Manley PippertOut of the Salt Shaker
Hope Has Its Reasons

“Biblical, passionate and practical – here’s a clarion call for Christians to introduce others to the God who is already present. Jerry and Stan offer a much-needed antidote to the fear many Christians feel about that dreaded word evangelism.”Lee StrobelThe Case for the Real Jesus

“What a brilliant book to help us shift our paradigm of evangelism from dry obligation to a vitality of worship and a refreshing experience of God. In a world fearful to share truth, Root and Guthrie give us key ingredients for evangelism that have not been fully examined for centuries. The authors have a gift for helping us understand bedrock biblical principles as well as exposing us to tried and tested (‘that is so obvious why-didn’t-I-think-of-that’) practical methodology. I love that the book introduces to a wide variety of interesting people from football players, college students and restaurateurs, to Calvin, Chesterton, Moody, Rousseau, and of course C.S. Lewis. In sports ministry we say, ‘Always training, never playing makes athletes stale.’ The Sacrament of Evangelism will help get you into the game, revitalize your faith and put some muscle on the dry bones of evangelism. I think I better ask my neighbor out to lunch, right now!”Dr. Steve ConnorDirector / Facilitator
Sports Outreach International
International Sports Coalition – North America

“If you think there couldn’t be anything new written about evangelism, The Sacrament of Evangelism will shatter that belief. Jerry and Stan do a great job of peeling back the curtain on the universal longings that can only be met by God. By doing so, they help the believer see how we are participating in the work God is already doing when He brings the unsaved to Himself. That is the sacramental nature of evangelism.”A.J. RinaldiMinistry Director, EvanTell Inc.
evangelism.net

“Need confidence in sharing your faith? Let this book encourage you: you are not alone. God was there before you; He’ll be there with you. Reach out boldly—this is God’s deal. He is at work, and he wants you to join Him in the all-important sacrament of evangelism.”Mark Mittelberg
Author, The Questions Christians Hope No One Will AskThe Reason Why
coauthor (with Bill Hybels) of Becoming a Contagious Christian

“I’m loving your book, The Sacrament of Evangelism. It’s fantastic. You speak my language, and you’re ministering right to my heart and to what I want to know. I’m not a gifted evangelist, but I believe it’s the most important thing for Christians to do. I so want to be fruitful. Thank you for writing it!”Rob AmbroseTri-Media Marketing Services
www.trimediaonline.com